Best Feminist Fiction (676 books)

Best Feminist Fiction

Fiction of which feminism is a primary theme...Stories about people challenging and overcoming gender roles, sexism, discrimination, etc.

all votes add books to this list

1	The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 avg rating — 251,186 ratings score: 42,636, and 429 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Color Purple by Alice Walker 4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 196,184 ratings score: 22,222, and 226 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 199,598 ratings score: 22,103, and 225 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 648,274 ratings score: 21,575, and 220 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Awakening by Kate Chopin 3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 avg rating — 69,253 ratings score: 17,551, and 179 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 34,726 ratings score: 16,441, and 169 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins 4.44 of 5 stars 4.44 avg rating — 1,583,384 ratings score: 13,066, and 135 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 99,916 ratings score: 11,874, and 122 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Mists of Avalon (The Mists of Avalon, #1) by Marion Zimmer Bradley 4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 90,227 ratings score: 11,739, and 121 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 972,010 ratings score: 11,281, and 117 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen 3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 avg rating — 32,232 ratings score: 9,486, and 98 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan 3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 avg rating — 347,488 ratings score: 9,429, and 98 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Goodreads Author) 3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 avg rating — 148,835 ratings score: 9,248, and 96 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author) 4.44 of 5 stars 4.44 avg rating — 747,742 ratings score: 9,172, and 96 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 avg rating — 388,406 ratings score: 8,468, and 88 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 577,914 ratings score: 8,467, and 87 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Red Tent by Anita Diamant 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 237,089 ratings score: 8,335, and 86 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf 3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 74,331 ratings score: 7,363, and 76 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (Goodreads Author) 4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 73,811 ratings score: 7,001, and 72 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Little Women (Little Women #1/2) by Louisa May Alcott 3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 avg rating — 730,567 ratings score: 6,766, and 73 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Matilda by Roald Dahl 4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 195,705 ratings score: 6,734, and 72 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler 3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 avg rating — 10,496 ratings score: 6,410, and 68 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.3 of 5 stars 3.30 avg rating — 273,369 ratings score: 6,388, and 69 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Beloved by Toni Morrison 3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 avg rating — 135,756 ratings score: 6,246, and 67 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg 4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 95,575 ratings score: 5,815, and 62 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 782,757 ratings score: 5,452, and 60 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 65,941 ratings score: 4,957, and 54 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 354,338 ratings score: 4,715, and 52 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel 3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 avg rating — 187,687 ratings score: 4,679, and 50 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Orlando by Virginia Woolf 3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 avg rating — 17,742 ratings score: 4,416, and 48 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 156,485 ratings score: 4,390, and 47 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf 3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 avg rating — 44,012 ratings score: 4,335, and 47 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 avg rating — 24,931 ratings score: 4,262, and 45 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume 3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 avg rating — 91,627 ratings score: 4,215, and 46 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 429,757 ratings score: 4,200, and 46 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 30,415 ratings score: 4,104, and 45 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Women's Room by Marilyn French 3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 3,195 ratings score: 4,064, and 43 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys 3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 avg rating — 21,039 ratings score: 3,957, and 43 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Hours by Michael Cunningham 3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 62,828 ratings score: 3,857, and 41 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (Goodreads Author) 3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 164,199 ratings score: 3,737, and 40 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 782,863 ratings score: 3,718, and 41 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing 3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 avg rating — 6,926 ratings score: 3,662, and 39 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3) by Philip Pullman 4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 59,098 ratings score: 3,642, and 38 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 5,389 ratings score: 3,453, and 36 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Emma by Jane Austen 3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 avg rating — 230,767 ratings score: 3,295, and 36 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (Goodreads Author) 3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 avg rating — 224,789 ratings score: 3,280, and 36 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Alice in Wonderland (Alice, #1) by Lewis Carroll 3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 avg rating — 133,298 ratings score: 3,263, and 37 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 31,507 ratings score: 3,243, and 35 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 avg rating — 12,157 ratings score: 3,116, and 33 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1) by Octavia E. Butler 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 10,903 ratings score: 2,968, and 32 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 183,788 ratings score: 2,901, and 33 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Goodreads Author) 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 156,119 ratings score: 2,744, and 30 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1) by Gregory Maguire 3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 avg rating — 308,643 ratings score: 2,720, and 30 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy 3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 avg rating — 82,809 ratings score: 2,685, and 31 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 464,298 ratings score: 2,649, and 30 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Sula by Toni Morrison 3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 avg rating — 22,853 ratings score: 2,481, and 28 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1) by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author) 4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 avg rating — 40,832 ratings score: 2,394, and 25 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 321,150 ratings score: 2,387, and 27 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 60,383 ratings score: 2,380, and 27 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson 3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 avg rating — 18,465 ratings score: 2,238, and 25 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen 4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 630,254 ratings score: 2,159, and 24 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Paradise by Toni Morrison 3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 avg rating — 11,537 ratings score: 2,118, and 24 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter 4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 9,219 ratings score: 2,099, and 22 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 34,864 ratings score: 2,039, and 23 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch 4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 avg rating — 15,749 ratings score: 1,973, and 22 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium, #2) by Stieg Larsson 4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 avg rating — 320,404 ratings score: 1,938, and 23 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Penelopiad (Canongate Myths) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 avg rating — 12,035 ratings score: 1,914, and 21 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Clan of the Cave Bear, the Valley of Horses, the Mammoth Hunters, the Plains of Passage (Earth's Children, #1-4) by Jean M. Auel 4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 2,912 ratings score: 1,860, and 20 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri S. Tepper 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 4,933 ratings score: 1,851, and 20 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 47,492 ratings score: 1,838, and 20 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life by George Eliot 3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 avg rating — 47,134 ratings score: 1,820, and 20 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin 3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 27,320 ratings score: 1,815, and 22 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Howl's Moving Castle (Howl's Moving Castle, #1) by Diana Wynne Jones 4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 58,120 ratings score: 1,688, and 19 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi 3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 42,989 ratings score: 1,666, and 18 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates 3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 avg rating — 36,059 ratings score: 1,642, and 18 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton 3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 33,204 ratings score: 1,601, and 18 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin 4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 4,745 ratings score: 1,590, and 17 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros 3.48 of 5 stars 3.48 avg rating — 43,114 ratings score: 1,569, and 18 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier 3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 avg rating — 95,284 ratings score: 1,539, and 17 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, #3) by Stieg Larsson 4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 263,026 ratings score: 1,521, and 18 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver 3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 61,665 ratings score: 1,481, and 17 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 37,308 ratings score: 1,462, and 16 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 37,640 ratings score: 1,401, and 16 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 avg rating — 149,000 ratings score: 1,342, and 15 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 6,102 ratings score: 1,284, and 15 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor (Goodreads Author) 3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 1,581 ratings score: 1,238, and 14 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Fear of Flying by Erica Jong 3.4 of 5 stars 3.40 avg rating — 7,556 ratings score: 1,230, and 15 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The Little House Collection (Little House, #1-9) by Laura Ingalls Wilder 4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 avg rating — 73,668 ratings score: 1,165, and 13 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 842,004 ratings score: 1,071, and 13 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 18,625 ratings score: 1,055, and 12 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Carrie by Stephen King 3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 avg rating — 142,821 ratings score: 1,052, and 13 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	So Far from God by Ana Castillo 3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 1,403 ratings score: 1,043, and 11 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Free To Be...you And Me by Marlo Thomas 4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 avg rating — 355 ratings score: 1,039, and 12 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 avg rating — 5,277 ratings score: 987, and 12 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi 3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 2,218 ratings score: 965, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Lysistrata by Aristophanes 3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 avg rating — 13,604 ratings score: 927, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek 3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 avg rating — 2,713 ratings score: 917, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin 3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 1,996 ratings score: 911, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel 4.37 of 5 stars 4.37 avg rating — 2,711 ratings score: 905, and 10 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Wired by Martha Randolph Carr (Goodreads Author) 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 40 ratings score: 900, and 9 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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676 books · 1,348 voters · list created June 22nd, 2008 by Brimate (votes) .

Tags: best, female, feminism, feminist, fiction

121 likes · like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 500 seconds.

People Who Voted On This List (1348)

Brimate
455 books
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Jessica
1805 books
91 friends

Diana
431 books
67 friends

Euni
489 books
71 friends

Shelly
1218 books
40 friends

Jessica
853 books
295 friends

M
1350 books
109 friends

Wealhtheow
2981 books
455 friends

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Post a comment »
Comments (showing 1-49 of 49) (49 new)

date

newest »

message 1: by Delaney (new)

Sep 02, 2009 01:38pm

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message 2: by Erik (new)

Feb 03, 2010 05:28pm

Lysistrata ought to be on there.

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message 3: by Bethany (new)

Jun 02, 2010 02:16am

This list just states at the top, that might just be a specification for this list, that these books need to be written by women? Curiosity compels me to ask whether this is justfor this list or whether feminist fiction can be written by males.

I would like to think that feminist fiction can be written be males or females and for a book to have a central feminist theme does not necessarily mean its author has to be female also.

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message 4: by Beyad (new)

Jun 03, 2010 03:48pm

yes i paused at seeing khaled hosseini there. and too bad no anais nin

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message 5: by Vampirella (new)

Jul 23, 2010 03:31am

A Room of One's Own for the win!

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message 6: by Jen (new)

Aug 06, 2010 05:27pm

Gone With the friggin' Wind? Seriously...

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message 7: by Npersson (new)

Sep 14, 2010 01:34pm

i wouldn't consider half of these to be feminist fiction

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message 8: by Briar Rose (new)

Sep 24, 2010 10:00am

A number of these aren't even fiction - Dance of the Dissident Daughter, The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson and A Vindication on the Rights of Women, among others.

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message 9: by Lucy (new)

Sep 26, 2010 05:41pm

What on Earth is Gone With the Wind doing on this list?

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message 10: by Serenity (new)

Nov 07, 2010 03:43pm

Beyad wrote: "yes i paused at seeing khaled hosseini there. and too bad no anais nin"

I was looking for Anais Nin too. I liked her perspective

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message 11: by jo (last edited Dec 23, 2010 09:05pm) (new)

Dec 23, 2010 09:03pm

feminist fiction can be written by men or women, IMMO.

also, i love a room of one's own and three guineas, but neither is fiction. they should not be here.

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message 12: by Karyn (new)

Jan 04, 2011 11:08am

I don't think Gone with the Wind is totally out there. Scarlett O'Hara is a woman who bucks the standards of how a woman is supposed to act, in particular, running her own business and taking men on as equals. Of course, she's very silly in her love life...

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message 13: by Mindy (new)

Jan 17, 2011 03:44am

Wonderful list. Funny thing is I own most of these and haven't had the time to read them. Thanks for reminding me.

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message 14: by Jeanne (new)

Feb 27, 2011 03:56pm

Reviving Ophelia is not fiction.

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message 15: by Baxter (new)

Jun 18, 2011 10:35pm

If you like strong female characters check out the latest from Lambda Literary Award nominee, Baxter Clare Trautman. The River Within follows three women whose bonds are strained, reforged, and ultimately strengthened as they struggle to choose between the lives they think they should have and the lives they want.

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message 16: by Jessica (new)

Aug 21, 2011 11:22am

Bethany wrote: "This list just states at the top, that might just be a specification for this list, that these books need to be written by women? Curiosity compels me to ask whether this is justfor this list or wh..."

If you'll notice, His Dark Materials is high on the list (quite rightly, in my opinion) and it's written by Philip Pullman. Feminist books can be written by men, it's just rarer to find them.

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message 17: by Carolyn (new)

Oct 20, 2011 09:55am

Well, I cleaned off some of the obvious non-fiction books, but I'm really disappointed that this list has been turned into garbage. From 'feminist' to 'has a female character' - it's a crying shame.

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message 18: by Amalie (new)

Oct 27, 2011 09:01am

You know some of the books in this list cannot be called "feminist" fiction, only the writers just happens to be feminists. And others... what on earth "Alice in Wonderland" doing here?

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message 19: by Andrea (new)

Dec 01, 2011 12:24pm

Carolyn wrote: "Well, I cleaned off some of the obvious non-fiction books, but I'm really disappointed that this list has been turned into garbage. From 'feminist' to 'has a female character' - it's a crying shame."

Npersson wrote: "i wouldn't consider half of these to be feminist fiction"

I totally agree. Some people need to study feminism before adding to this list. Wuthering Heights as feminist fiction? Please! Having a female heroin or female author does not make a character or story feminist! Some of these characters and authors actually reinforce negative stereotypes that feminists fought to overcome.

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message 20: by Katherine (new)

Dec 03, 2011 08:49am

Y The Last Man has extremely misogynistic stereotypes. If the scientific inaccuracies, WTF moments, and misogynistic stereotypes were removed it could be considered feminist fiction. As it is now, it doesn't deserve to be on the list.

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message 21: by Joan (new)

Dec 03, 2011 10:36am

Add: A 2011 Award Winning Finalist in the Fiction Chick/Lit Women's Lit category (there was no category for Feminism) of USA Book News, "Among Us Women" by Joan Lerner has important social and political issues about women and their aim for independence and choice.

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message 22: by David (new)

Dec 10, 2011 08:46am

Cate Fosl's biography of Anne Braden should be included.

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message 23: by Ingrid (new)

Dec 12, 2011 07:21pm

The Bluest Eye is one of my favourite books, but Pecola definitely doesn't "overcome" her discrimination in the end... quite the opposite, actually. hmm.

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message 24: by Jessica (new)

Dec 23, 2011 01:32am

David wrote: "Cate Fosl's biography of Anne Braden should be included."

Key word: Fiction.

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message 25: by Briar Rose (new)

Dec 31, 2011 11:41pm

Katherine wrote: "Y The Last Man has extremely misogynistic stereotypes. If the scientific inaccuracies, WTF moments, and misogynistic stereotypes were removed it could be considered feminist ..."

+1. It's a book about a world full of women, but it's completely focussed on the one man and tells his story. So while it's got a lot of female characters, that's not enough to qualify it as a feminist work.

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message 26: by Katherine (new)

Jan 01, 2012 06:10am

Briar Rose wrote: "Katherine wrote: "Y The Last Man has extremely misogynistic stereotypes. If the scientific inaccuracies, WTF moments, and misogynistic stereotypes were removed it could be con..."

Actually, it could possibly tell what millions of women could possibly do to him. Some people consider it as creating a possible "feminist" utopia (although it's mainly based on the false idea that feminists hate men). It would be a big, if senseless "what if". It's basically the idea that Y is the last guy alive and the Amazon women are out to kill him, other women want to save him. The female characters were actually stereotypical women and what happens is pretty much scientifically impossible. If someone rewrote it from his POV and made it actually sound possible and removed the stereotypes, it could possibly pass as a feminist work. The truth is, I couldn't imagine women who would want to kill the last man on earth, though. It'd be weird to see the story from a female's POV, possibly. It'd probably also be more interesting. But wouldn't it naturally have his POV if he is the last male human on earth. The feminist idea is: "What the hell would the women do to him?"

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message 27: by Lyon (new)

Jan 22, 2012 02:27pm

I'd like to note that the original title for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is called Men who Hate Women, so feminist? I really don't think so,especially(Spoiler) when almost every female in the book throws herself at Blomkvist and sleeps with him.

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message 28: by David (new)

Jan 22, 2012 03:01pm

They choose Blomkvist. Even feminists like love and sex. He is a good guy.

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message 29: by ~☆ Alice☆~ (new)

Jan 24, 2012 09:37am

On the books where the women commit suicide ...is that a positive feminist statement????? I don't think so.

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message 30: by David (new)

Jan 24, 2012 10:55am

Alice wrote: "David wrote: "They choose Blomkvist. Even feminists like love and sex. He is a good guy."

he is a sleezeball IMO but Salander is sure tough!"
You seem to be very judgmental and puritanical.Blomkvist is not a sleezeball.

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message 31: by Sarah (new)

Jan 27, 2012 08:03am

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message 32: by Brimate (last edited Feb 15, 2012 04:40pm) (new)

Feb 15, 2012 04:40pm

So how can we change the list to better fit the original idea? Does anyone have the capability to remove books? Is Carolyn still around?

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message 33: by Zack (last edited Apr 16, 2012 08:22am) (new)

Apr 16, 2012 08:21am

Honestly? Hunger Games got a higher ranking than The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo??? This is just jokes,watch out! we just got another hunger games fangirl here!

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message 34: by Leah (last edited Apr 26, 2012 04:47pm) (new)

Apr 26, 2012 04:45pm

I just added The Woman Warrior and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents on there. Not there already? Really?!

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message 35: by Leah (new)

Apr 26, 2012 04:49pm

Brimate wrote: "So how can we change the list to better fit the original idea? Does anyone have the capability to remove books? Is Carolyn still around?"

Btw I think any librarian should be able to do so.

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message 36: by Max (new)

May 04, 2012 11:59am

Some of the books here are not exactly feminist. Speak is an empowering YA novel but it's not really feminist. Also, why is Hunger Games here? It's not at all feminist just because it has a female protagonist.

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message 37: by Leah (new)

May 04, 2012 12:21pm

I think a definition of feminism is in order. As Max indirectly points out, female-empowering is not necessarily the same as feminist - so how do we define this?

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message 38: by Gargi (new)

May 09, 2012 11:15pm

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message 39: by Diamondgemstones (new)

Jun 27, 2012 11:42am

The Hunger Games? Really? :(

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message 40: by Hoyadaisy (new)

Jul 30, 2012 03:42pm

What a good list, but a lot of people are putting books that just have a woman as the main character but aren't necessarily feminist. As Leah et al. suggest that's a hard thing to define, as women are not a monolith. Could a working def. be "Wishing to document and improve the status of women or to explore the complex culture of women." (I put "complex" in to avoid a "Lifetime: Television for Women" view of the culture of women.)

As for "The Hunger Games," I think it's thorny. Put a girl warrior in a book 50 years ago, that's feminist. Put a girl warrior in a book now, with no special barriers or skills because she's a woman, I think, "Not so much."

Anyway, kudos to list maker who is getting 6 million replies.

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message 41: by Hoyadaisy (new)

Jul 30, 2012 03:47pm

Sorry all, I wrote that after one page. I'm dying: lots of books by men. Huge issue whether a man's book should be here, but I see lots of books by men, many of which I enjoyed, but that do strike me as so valuable on the subject of women that they ought to be included. At minimum, bar should be higher.

And the chick lit. It's an insulting term, but it does describe fiction that looks at women in a really naive, uncomplicated way and isn't impressive as writing. I can't look beyond the third page...

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message 42: by Amy (new)

Jul 31, 2012 02:06pm

Why is Memoirs of a Geisha on this list? Blergh!

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message 43: by pattrice (new)

Aug 18, 2012 07:02am

How is The Help--which was condemned by the Association of Black Women Historians--on this list????

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message 44: by Yeliz (new)

Aug 22, 2012 07:21am

What a joke you are, the Goodreads reader. Hunger Games, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo... Oh my.

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message 45: by Liz (new)

Sep 13, 2012 10:03am

The Scarlett Letter? Just pointing out that it was hard to be a woman in Puritan society is not feminist. It just sucks. And Atlas Shrugged? Maybe I need feminism redefined for me because the current understanding I have computes with very little on this list.

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message 46: by Pixieg (new)

Dec 04, 2012 09:52am

Great list!

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message 47: by Marne (new)

Dec 11, 2012 04:48am

I removed Reading Lolita in Tehran and Women Who Run with Wolves because both are nonfiction, and this list is called Best Feminist *Fiction*. There are a bunch of other books that make me cringe because they sure don't seem feminist to me, but if I started on them I'd be here all day!

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message 48: by Ðɑηηɑ (new)

Apr 15, 2013 04:07am